Awoniyi credits resurgence in form to marathon prayers

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi claims that six hours of prayer helped him to rediscover his goalscoring form for the Reds.

The 25-year-old scored 10 league goals for Steve Cooper's side this season and played a vital role in their successful Premier League survival bid.

He also scored Forest's first goal of the campaign in a 1-0 win over West Ham back in August after a 23-year spell outside of the top flight.

But it was not always plain sailing for the forward. Awoniyi spent two months on the sidelines earlier this year and struggled for form upon his return, having gone on a seven-game goal drought.

The pressure was on Awoniyi going into Forest's vital relegation six-pointer against Southampton on May 8, but the former Liverpool striker responded with a brace in a 4-3 win which set the club on course for safety. Awoniyi ended the season strongly, scoring in the club's final three games of the season against Chelsea, Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

And whilst on holiday in his native Nigeria, the striker testified in front of a crowd of people at Eternity Network International (ENI) in a video shared on Ghana Web. He said: "I moved to England with my family. The beginning was really tough.

"I had no idea what was going on. My wife said to me 'you don't pray the way you used to do anymore,' and that was true.

"That Monday, we had a game in the night, I was on my knees from 6am to 12 noon. That night, that was the easiest game that I have played in my life and I scored twice."